Zusammenfassung:

At the end of this module, students have a basic understanding of empiricial research in information systems. Topics include IT innovation, IT adoption and continuance, digital strategy, business models, pricing, cloud computing, information privacy, electronic healthcare and others.

The goals of this seminar are:

Fundamental understanding of the principles of empirical academic work

Ability to systematically and independently adress a research topic

Knowledge of the methodological and theoretical foundations necessary to write a master thesis in the area of information systems

Inhalt der Lehrveranstaltung:

Part 1

Introduction to academic research principles and academic writing

Part 2

Examination of the topic and the research question

Investigation of the theoretical and methodological foundation

Structured analysis of the current state of research

Analysis and structuration of the results with regard to one specific topic in the field of information systems research

Literatur zur Lehrveranstaltung:

Bewerbung

Seminarthemen

Title

1) Understanding the Freemium business model: A literature review

Goal

Web companies such as Dropbox, LinkedIn or Skype apply a business model often referred to as Freemium. They offer a basic service for free while charging a premium for advanced features, functionality, or related products and services. While this business model is often successfully applied, it regularly fails. However, the reasons for these differences are not investigated in detail. Understanding the mechanisms that make customers upgrade to the premium version of such a service is a crucial for companies applying the Freemium business model.

The aim of this master seminar thesis is to conduct a structured literature review bringing together insights from previous literature to explain why customers upgrade to a premium account. The work should identify the relevant literature streams and structure the results of previous studies in a comprehensive way in order to provide researchers with an understanding of the current scientific knowledge on this topic, potential applications to the Freemium model and avenues for future research.

Mobile devices such as smartphones have become a ubiquitous part of our everyday live. These devices influence the way we interact with our environment and change our decision making processes. Retailing is not prone to these influences. For instance, customers can use mobile devices to compare prices in store, to inform themselves about certain product features and to make purchases at competitors’ stores while trying the product at a local retailer. In another application, the devices can also be used to provide targeted information and advertising based on consumer characteristics and locations. Understanding the influence of mobile devices on consumer behavior is therefore crucial to be successful in an interactive retailing environment.

The aim of this master seminar thesis is to conduct a structured literature review bringing together insights from previous literature examining the use and impact of mobile devices on retailing. The work should identify the relevant literature streams and theories and thereby structure the results of previous studies in a comprehensive way to provide researchers with an understanding of the current scientific knowledge on this topic and avenues for future research.

The theory of punctuated equilibrium theory states that a long period unchanged form will be followed by radical change over a short period of time. Technology has been shown to be one potential trigger of this instability and the corresponding change.

This master seminar thesis has two goals. First, the development of punctuated equilibrium theory as well as the theory itself should be described briefly. Second, a structured literature review on the application of punctuated equilibrium theory should be undertaken.

4) The use of Google Trends data in academic research: An interdisciplinary literature review

Goal

User behavior on the internet can be easily recorded. This information offers new insights for marketers, managers and researchers. Some of these data sources are provided by big corporations as a side product of their core business. One interesting data source is Google Trends, which provides insights into the popularity of certain search terms over time, between countries and so on. Although Google Trends offers a variety of opportunities for researchers, deriving reliable academic results from such secondary data sources can be a challenging endeavor.

The aim of this master seminar thesis is to conduct a structured interdisciplinary literature review on the data collection and evaluation methods and the applications of Google Trends data in premier academic research. The work should structure the results of previous studies in a comprehensive way in order to provide researchers with an understanding of the current scientific knowledge on this topic and potential avenues for future research.

5) Sharing goods and services in the digital era: A structured literature review

Goal

Digital businesses enable individuals and organizations to share excess capacities of their goods and services. These digital businesses provide information and connect different actors. Examples include car sharing, house sharing, and so on. This recent trend is often referred to as the “Sharing Economy”, which is said to increase welfare for society. The aim of this seminar paper is to review and structure existing literature as well as to identify research gaps.

The digital divide refers to an inequality among categories of persons in a given population with respect to their access to, use of, or knowledge of information and communication technologies (ICT). The understanding of what the digital divide is and how it could be solved has significantly changed over time. The aim of this seminar paper is to review and structure existing literature as well as to identify research gaps.

Managerial cognition refers to the way managers perceive, interpret, and reason about environmental, conceptual environmental or organizational stimuli. It is seen as a crucial mediator between changes in the external environment and corresponding organizational responses. Information systems assisting in gathering information from outside the organization can significantly shape the process of managerial cognition. The aim of this seminar paper is to review and structure existing literature as well as to identify research gaps.

8) The relationship between stakeholder activities, infomediaries, and organizational response to ethical issues

Goal

Whether and how organizations respond to ethical issues is the result of a socially constructed process. Taking into account not only stakeholder activities but also the role infomediaries, i.e., third-party organizations, further highlights the likewise social nature of information exchange. The aim of this seminar paper is to review and structure existing literature as well as to identify research gaps.